Dirty Dancing 2 is officially pressing ahead, and more details of the sequel have been revealed.
There have been plenty of rumours and buzz swirling around for a while now about a sequel to 1987’s Dirty Dancing – we’re assuming Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights doesn’t count – and a raft of details have now emerged as Lionsgate prepares to officially launch the project at Cannes next week. It has been confirmed that Jennifer Grey will reprise her role as Frances ‘Baby’ Houseman, whilst Jonathan Levine, the director of Long Shot and Warm Bodies, will helm the movie.
The film will be set in the 1990s and see Baby return to Kellermans, the holiday camp that the first film takes place at. The sequel ‘will be a coming-of-age romance focused on the experience of a young woman at the summer camp, but Baby’s own journey will intertwine with this to create a multi-layered narrative.’
Casting is underway, with the script having been completed by Levine and Elizabeth Chomko. The film is expected to enter production later this year and make its bow in cinemas at some point in 2024.
Whilst the wonderful Patrick Swayze is sadly no longer with us, Levine has confirmed that ‘Johnny is a part of Baby’s journey in the story’, stating ‘this film exists in a dialogue with the original. We want to introduce this story to a whole new generation. That said, Johnny’s absence looms large over the story, so it’s a coming-of-age story but also a coming-of-age for Baby’s character in a way.’
The original, which is reportedly the best-selling film in Lionsgate’s library, boasted a memorable soundtrack. The sequel will blend music from the original movie with numbers from the 1990s, with Alanis Morissete and Liz Phair being two artists mentioned by Levine as contenders for inclusion.
An indirect sequel, Havana Nights was released without much fanfare in 2004 but the announcement of a direct sequel will certainly create plenty of buzz and hopefully, everybody involved can create a worthy follow-up to the legendary original.
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